Acute effects of short-term exposure to second-hand smoke on induced platelet aggregation
Issue title: Selected Proceedings of the 15th Conference of the European Society for Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation (ESCHM), June 28–July 1, 2009, Pontresina, Switzerland
Abstract: Passive smoking may increase cardiovascular events by yet insufficiently understood mechanisms. We, therefore, tested the hypothesis that passive smoking could affect platelet aggregation. Fourteen healthy non-smoking males were exposed to second-hand smoke during 60 min in a room with smokers, who maintained the CO-concentration between 4.5–7.0 ppm throughout that period. Citrated blood was drawn before and immediately after smoke exposure (which took place between 6 and 7 p.m.). The last 7 individuals had blood taken also at 9.00 a.m. before and the day after smoke exposure. Platelet aggregation was measured (a) in flowing whole blood using the platelet function analyser PFA-100®, which determines the closure time (CT) of a collagen coated membrane pore by shear-induced platelet aggregation, and (b) with a Chrono-log 700 Aggregometer, assessing platelet aggregation either by the change of impedance in diluted whole blood or light transmission in platelet-rich plasma. After short term second-hand smoke exposure we did not observe an increase in platelet aggregation with any of the instruments. We conclude that acute exposure to second-hand smoke is unlikely to increase platelet aggregability. Other mechanisms must be involved in the increased risk of cardiovascular events associated with passive smoking.
